How can we strategically and effectively fight Donald Trump's Christofascism when we are being bombarded by multiple new crises every single day? While there aren't easy answers, we do know the authoritarian playbook isn't new.
Strongmen throughout history have used many of the exact same tactics -- tactics meant to consolidate more wealth and power for themselves, crush dissent and resistance, and force ordinary citizens to cede their hope for a better future.
However, as social-justice Christians, we know that love never fails. That's why Faithful America members are resisting this latest wave of Christofascism -- and the overwhelming grief and despair that accompany it -- by starting a brand new member book club.
By gathering in community, learning together, and discussing strategic action, we will be "seeding hope" in each others' hearts so that new possibilities and brighter futures can be born right here in the midst of our struggle.
If you'd like to learn more about Faithful America's Seeding Hope Book Club, please find important information and FAQ's below:
ABOUT THE BOOK
What book are we reading?
We will be reading "Strongmen" by Ruth Ben-Ghiat. "Strongmen" examines case studies of various authoritarian leaders, such as Mussolini, Hitler, Putin, Trump, and more, to better understand their tactics, their weaknesses, and what effective resistance looks like historically and today. You can find out more about the book HERE.
How can I purchase the book?
There are a variety of ways to purchase the book, whether you need a hard copy or an ebook. Some options are provided below:
I see two different books with the same title. Which one should I get?
Either! Those are both versions of the exact same book with identical page numbers. The book was rebranded recently, which changed the subtitle, but the content is the same. Feel free to purchase the version that is most affordable and most accessible to you.
BOOK CLUB
When does the book club meet and what chapters should I read?
The Seeding Hope Book Club meets every other week on Monday evenings (ET) from 6:30 to 8:00 pm ET. Our next meeting is on Monday, April 28.
If you'd like to join the recurring book club meetings, please register for the Zoom link HERE.
The below reading schedule will be followed:
- Monday, February 24 | 34 pages
- Introduction (1), Ch. 1 - Fascist Takeovers (19)
- Monday, March 3 | 30 pages
- Ch. 2 - Military Coups (35), Ch. 3 - New Authoritarian Ascents (48)
- Monday, March 17 | 54 pages
- Ch. 4 - A Greater Nation (65), Ch. 5 - Propaganda (91)
- Monday, March 31 | 46 pages
- Ch. 6 - Virility (119), Ch. 7 - Corruption (141)
- Monday, April 14 | 56 pages
- Ch. 8 - Violence (165), Ch. 9 - Resistance (193)
- Monday, April 28 | 52 pages
- Ch. 10 - Endings (221), Conclusion (247), Epilogue to Paperback Edition (263)
What will we do in each book club meeting?
For each meeting, we will spend an hour gathering in community, discussing the assigned chapters in small groups, and offering each other the hopeful reminder that we are not alone. We will be together over the next two months learning how Christians can challenge Donald Trump and his Christofascist movement. If you'd like to access the discussion questions to guide your reading, you can do so HERE.
Additionally, our aim is to have all participants feel seen, heard, and respected in Beloved Community. This will require each of us being willing to step forward and contribute to the conversation as well as regularly stepping back and listening to our peers.
While recognizing that everyone has varying personalities, schedules, and preferences, we strongly encourage full participation in each meeting -- meaning that participants should come having read the assigned chapters, ready to share their thoughts, and eager to listen and learn from others.
What norms will we follow?
Our goal is to create a Beloved Community where all participants feel seen, heard, and respected. Below are 5 general norms to help make that possible:
- Step up, Step back: Everyone has something to contribute -- including both introverts and extroverts. We will have a mix of personalities and experiences in every room. If you're the type of person who speaks up a lot, make sure you're making room for other voices (i.e. wait for everyone to share before speaking a 2nd time, ask the quiet person questions, etc.). If you tend to be the quiet one, push yourself to share (i.e. come to each meeting with a passage that really struck you or a question you've been wrestling with).
- Cameras on, Mics muted: One way that we can cultivate community is by ensuring participants are actually seen and heard. We ask that everyone have their camera on whenever possible during the meeting, especially during the breakout room discussions portion of the meeting. Additionally, keep your mic muted while others are speaking and use the Zoom "handraising function" when you would like to speak. Keeping your camera on and mics muted throughout the discussion will enable us to build a shared sense of trust and vulnerability.
- Platinum rule: Treat others as they wish to be treated. No one wants to be interrupted or talked over while they are trying to share. We should strive to give each other space and time to share their thoughts, even if we disagree with them. Affirm and compliment others when they make great points.
- Come prepared: Participants should have completed all the assigned reading before the meeting so that we can fully share our thoughts. Our goal is for all participants to benefit from informed discussion. If you are unable to complete the reading in time, please feel free to attend the meeting, but out of respect for others, you should contribute to the discussion more with questions and wonderings rather than answers and comments.
- Be open, curious, and humble: We are reading some challenging texts with challenging ideas and claims. We will also be discussing these ideas in community with others whose ways of thinking may be different than ours. This is to be expected and embraced, because "iron sharpens iron." However, how we manage conflict and disagreement in our groups is of the utmost importance. Baseless accusations, name-calling, and yelling will not be tolerated. Alternatively, our aim is to engage the text and each other with charity and grace -- meaning we make habits of assuming others' good intentions, asking others to say more about what they mean, and refraining from questioning others' lived experiences. We are the experts on our own experience, but we should also show a willingness to learn from the wisdom of others and our text.
Technical support -- how do I get started in Zoom? Or what happens if I have challenges during Book Club?
Each meeting will begin 15 minutes before our scheduled start time. This time window will be for anyone who has technical difficulties or questions to come receive assistance before the meeting begins.
If you have questions or need specific accommodations before the meeting, please email [email protected] with "Book Club" in the subject line and a staff member will get back to you as soon as possible. If you are having difficulty during the meeting, please alert staff members in the chat.
Zoom features we will be using during each meeting:
- Breakout rooms
- We will be using breakout rooms during each meeting. When we open the rooms, you will see a pop up window asking you to join your assigned room. Please select "join," and you will join your other group members. When we close the breakout rooms, you see another pop-up window informing you that you have 60 seconds before the rooms close and your group is placed back into the plenary group.
- Closed Captions
- If you have any hearing difficulties or impairments, you can turn on closed captions by clicking on the "Show captions" option, selecting your preferred language, and clicking "save." To turn the captions off, click "Hide captions."
- "Ask for help" Function
- If you need help during a breakout session, please click the "Ask for help" button on your Zoom screen, and a Faithful America member will be with you shortly.
- Group Polls
- At times, we may poll the book club participants. Before the poll shows, you will see a chat inviting you to use the Slido app. If you click open, you should then see the poll and record your answer.
If I am today's small group facilitator, what do I do?
First off, thank you for your willingness to help facilitate discussion for your small group today. The role of facilitator is an important one, and here are a few tips to keep your group conversation focused and robust:
- Read out the questions to begin the discussion in your group. Your role is not to answer each question first but rather, to suggest the beginning and end of discussions for each question.
- Keep an eye on the timer. Each breakout session will be roughly 20 minutes, which gives your group ten or so minutes to discuss each question. Gently remind your group at the halfway point to move to the next question.
- Invite others who haven't spoken much to share their thoughts. The group facilitator can help ensure that no participant is dominating the conversation by paying attention to who is talking as much and simply asking if they'd like to share anything (but of course, no pressure!).
- Monitor participants' microphones and "hand raising" function to ensure smooth transitions from one speaker to the next. If someone isn't muted while they aren't speaking and distracting sounds are coming through, feel free to chat or politely ask that participant if they can mute their mic. Further, you can help keep the conversation going by calling on those with their hands raised. If multiple hands are raised, consider calling on the hand that hasn't spoken as much.
What if I can't join the book club but still want to participate?
At this time, we aren't offering any other meeting times, and due to the nature of the discussion and small groups, we are not able to record the meetings. However, we hope you will still consider a few of the options below:
- Read along with us and join when you can.
- Use the discussion question guide and above resources to start your own local book club of "Strongmen." Organizing a local book club in your church or community while reading along with the national group is a great way to build online and offline community with other Faithful America members. If you choose this option, be sure to email Faithful America's Digital Community Organizer, Hunter Greene, to receive any additional support you may need to start a reading group in your area.
- Please email [email protected] with "Book Club" in the subject line for any questions you may have.
Love thy neighbor.